Jake Bates Is Living His Best World Cup Life While We’re Still Processing Last Season
The World Cup is here, and Jake Bates is exactly where you’d expect a soccer superfan turned NFL kicker to be. Completely locked in on both sides of the field.
The Detroit News caught up with our guy as the U.S. Men’s National Team prepared to take on Paraguay at So-Fi Stadium. When asked which Lion could join the USMNT roster, Bates didn’t hesitate. “That’d be me,” he said. “That’d be like a dream come true watching the World Cup and thinking, man, that’s going to be me one day.”
Plot twist, Jake. You became a professional NFL kicker for a team that’s actually good now. Not the worst consolation prize in the world.
A Kicker With Opinions
Bates also weighed in on which soccer player he’d add to the Lions roster, picking defender Chris Richards. Though considering Richards is nursing an ankle injury, maybe we keep our roster intact and healthy for now. We’ve had enough injury drama to last several lifetimes.
His World Cup predictions? The U.S. and Paraguay make it out of the Group Stage, Falorun Balogun leads in goals, and the Americans make it to the semifinal. Bold calls from a guy who knows what it’s like to deliver under pressure.
Balancing Two Obsessions
While he’s stuck in Michigan for OTAs, Bates managed to secure tickets to watch the USMNT take on Australia in Seattle next week. For the final Group Stage match, he’ll head back home to Texas.
“I have some friends from home that I used to play soccer with that I’m sure we’ll get together with,” he said.
There’s something perfect about watching a guy who kicked his way from making kicks to Ford Field now juggling World Cup fandom with NFL obligations. This is the kind of story that makes you believe in second acts and unexpected paths.
The man went from learning to kick to nailing kicks in Honolulu Blue. Now he’s breaking down World Cup matchups like he belongs in both worlds. Because at this point, maybe he does.
Are we witnessing the most interesting athlete story in Detroit right now, or is Jake Bates just getting started? Drop your take below.
I love that Jake is this into soccer AND killing it as our kicker. This is the kind of guy who actually fits what Brad and Dan are building here – athletes who care about more than just football but still bring that competitive edge when it matters. The World Cup stuff is just cool, not distracting.
Look I’m glad Jake is happy and all that but let’s not get too caught up in the fun soccer talk. I just need him focused on making kicks when it counts. OTAs, World Cup stuff, whatever – just make sure you’re ready when we need you.
Honestly this kind of stuff reminds you why you stick with this team. We’ve got a kicker who’s genuinely interesting and passionate about sports period, not just some robotic guy counting his checks. Brad and Dan seem to understand that good humans make good teammates, which is different from how things used to work around here.
Jake’s out here treating the World Cup like it’s the Super Bowl and I’m totally here for it. The way he talks about soccer is the same energy he needs kicking field goals in November when it matters most. That passion is real and you can’t fake that.